St. Louis judge faces disciplinary hearing after China vacation

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A St. Louis associate circuit judge is facing a rare disciplinary hearing for allegedly allowing clerks to perform her responsibilities while she was vacationing in China.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Judge Barbara Peebles also faces a criminal investigation for a missing document related to the vacation.

The disciplinary hearing on July 31 could ultimately lead to Peebles' removal from the bench.

A December Post-Dispatch story revealed that Peebles vacationed for two weeks in China in October, allowing her clerks to handle at least 350 cases. The clerks postponed more than 300 cases, dismissed five, refused to dismiss at least one and decided that as many as 18 arrest warrants should be issued.